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Atlanta-based GE Energy announced Tuesday it would acquire the gasification technology business of a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco Corp. Financial details were not disclosed.

Although both sides are refusing to give any details, settlement talks between California and San Diego-based Sempra Energy are ongoing and could encompass claims that collectively represent $1-2 billion. A spokesman for state Attorney General Bill Lockyer confirmed Tuesday that talks are taking place but he would not characterize their current status.

Atlanta-based GE Energy announced Tuesday it would acquire the gasification technology business of a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco Corp. Financial details were not disclosed.

Although both sides are refusing to give any details, settlement talks between California and San Diego-based Sempra Energy are ongoing and could encompass claims that collectively represent $1 to $2 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report Monday following a meeting with Bill Lockyer, California’s attorney general (AG). A state AG spokesman confirmed the accuracy of the report Tuesday, although he would not characterize the status of the talks or their current stage.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) published in the Federal Register its final notice for Eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Sale 189. The lease sale, which will be held at 9 a.m. CST on Dec. 10, in New Orleans, encompasses 256 blocks in the Eastern GOM Planning Area and covers 1.47 million acres. Available unleased blocks in the planning area number 138 and cover 794,880 acres.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) published in the Federal Register its final notice for Eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Sale 189. The lease sale, which will be held at 9 a.m. on Dec. 10, in New Orleans, encompasses 256 blocks in the Eastern GOM Planning Area and covers 1.47 million acres. Available unleased blocks in the planning area number 138 and cover 794,880 acres.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS), which this week issued the final details for the lease sale in September offshore Alaska, is facing growing criticism from Canadian officials, who claim that thousands of acres set for auction are actually owned by Canada. The sale area extends from the eastern Canadian border to just west of Barrow, encompassing about 9.4 million acres offshore Alaska’s northern coast on the Beaufort Sea (see Daily GPI, Aug. 22).

Falling behind its initial downtime prediction, Transocean Inc. said last week that its deepwater drillship Discoverer Enterprise remains on location in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico at zero dayrate while continuing the investigation with respect to the riser separation which occurred on May 21.

FERC on Friday ordered Entergy to provide additional, detailed information about the company’s request for proposals (RFP) process related to several pending power purchase agreements (PPA). Entergy has filed eight long-term PPAs between Entergy affiliates at FERC.